The Pursuit of Movement – Month 4 Results (End of Phase 1)

Finally… the conclusion of The Pursuit of Movement’s Phase 1. I began this program back in April, right after turning 31 and deciding that I didn’t want to be old. 4 months of training later, I’ve added a few skills to my repertoire and also met a few shortcomings.

These results were measured as of August 15th 2013, shortly before I moved out of South Korea and traveled for a month. Let’s see how I did:

Handstand

3 months: 25 seconds4 months: 28 seconds (GOAL OF 30 SECS ALMOST MET)

My PB didn’t cross the benchmark I had hoped, but my understanding of the movement has greatly improved. This is reflected in the consistency of my holds.

A lot of my previous PBs have been more reliant on balance with a compromise on technique and form (body line). This month had been spent trying to bridge the gap between these 2 factors.

This calls for celebration and reflection. I’m celebrating meeting this goal, but the more I learned about this technique, the more I realize how much I’ve compromised form and approach for holding time. Basically, I’ve been cheating.

My hips are too high (not aligned with shoulders) and I really should have a better grasp of the advanced tuck before jumping into straddle.

Although it looks as if I may have bitten off more than I could chew with my expectations with this move, I think I’m finally on the right track with how I’m approaching my training.

Focusing more on negatives have dramatically increased my shoulder strength. Combining them with 1 rep concentric pulls is helping me progress much faster than the first 2 months. This goal will carry over (and most likely be met) in Phase 2.

CONCLUSION

Ever since childhood, I’ve had a tendency to not finish things I’ve started, especially when they got difficult. I always knew I was capable of doing this and that, but I had never put in that investment of consistenttime and dedication. Well, 4 months of the Pursuit of Movement showed me what I could accomplish when I stubbornly commit to something. This “training regimen” led to newly formed habits. And these habits along with the changes I’ve experienced have molded a new lifestyle.

Along with improvement and revelation comes humility. The deeper you dig the more you realize how complex everything becomes and how little you actually know, both on a mental and physiological level. What you thought was 25% of the journey was likely in fact just 5%. Drat!

But no long journey was ever a wasted one. Life would be boring if mastery only took a few years instead of a lifetime.